Rail anchor



Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES HORA'I'IO G. GILLMOR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA RAIL auction.

, 5 Application filed June 25, 1924. Serial K0 7225317.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, HORATIO G. GmLMon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for resisting the longitudinal creeping movement of railroad rails. Such devices are commonly known as rail anchors, anticreepers, creepcheck's, or rail stays,

One of the objects of my invention is to produce a device of this character Which ma be formed from a rolled steel bar, which may be easily and cheaply manufac tured.

, Another object of the invention is to produce a device ofthis character which will be simple in construction, easily applied using only'the tools ordinarily carried by track workers and readily removed when removal is desired, using only the same tools; and which will take a firm and reliable grip upon the rail and retain its position thereon without being loosened or its efficiency impaired by contraction or expansion of the rail, freezing of the ballast or other efi'ects of weather conditions, vibrations or any of the other causes ,tending to loosen the grip or impair the efficiency of devices of this character.

A-further object is to provide a device which may be repeatedly removed, when desired, from the rail and re-applied'to the same or another rail repeatedly and be tight and eflicient in preventing cree ing after such repeated removal and .re-application. 7 I

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have described, as an ex"- ample, one embodiment thereof in the following specification, and shown the same in' the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation, with the rail in section, and Figure 2 a sideelevation, with the cross tie in section, showing the device in position. Figures 3 and 4 are elevations, with the rail in section, illustrating the method ofiapplying the device. to'the rail. Figure 5 is an elevation with the rail in section, illustrating the method of removing the device from the rail.

Like'characters of reference refer tolike parts in the several figures.

The form' of rail anchor shown in'the drawings consists of a steel bar of rectangular cross section, the body portion A arranged to extend I transversely beneath and some distance below and out of contact with the base flange B of the rail. two ends of the bar are bent toform a short curved arm (3, the upper inner corner D the bar and require no forming to adapt it.

to engage the underside of the head I of the rail at one side of the rail. The terminal arm E is of the general form which the fish bar, employed to form'the joint where two rails join, would have and is arranged to be wedged into thefishing space between the head and base of the rail at some point in the length of the rail adjacent a tie K with the face of the body portion A in contact with the tie K and the upper corner D of the short arm C pressing firmly a ainst the vertical edge of the base flange fiat the side of the rail opposite to that gripped by the longer arm E.

The proportions and shape of the body A and the two arms C and'Eare such that the inner. corner D of the short arm '0 will whenthe body A is in the unstressed condition come within the plane of the vertical edge of the rail base B, when the lon er arm E is wedged into the fishing ace ictween the head I and base flange of the rail. This will be readily understood from Figure 1, in which the dotted lines indicate the form which the body portion A and the arm C have normally in the unstressed conditionn To get the device intoits 0 erative position on the rail the short arm has to be deformed or sprung to the form shown in the full lines in Figure 1. In seeking to resume the form from whichit was sprung the inner corner D, vin contact with the vertical edge of the rail base B, firmly grips the rail base and throughthe body portion '-.A, holds the long arm E wedgedinto the fishing space at the other side of the rail.

In applying the device to the rail, the

longerarm E is'fbro hti'n an sition, into the. Po

portion underneath the base flange B. The curved portion L, between the body A and the arm E, is arranged to rovide. internal clearance suflicient to permit the short arm C "to be brought up pastthe edge .of" the base flange B at the side of the rail away from the arm E. The position of the de- V108,- when the arm. G is about to. clear the edge of the base flange- B is inFigure 3. When this position is reached the edge 0 the arm C is brought up bg h wire is' 1; en

therail base gB and the .turned to the vertical: osition as shown in Figure 4. The e portion M'ais' ar- Y ranged to provide clearance suflicientto permit the end H of the arm E to be. brought outclear of the head I of the'rail and thus tical position. The device is then moved longitudinally 'on the rail until one face of the bod portion A engages the tie K, after whic it is moved transversely and angularly on the rail until the surface H of the arm E beginsto eng'a the under side of the head I of the ra1 l.- The arm C-will then engage the upper corner of the rail baseflange B and the device .will be in 'jthe position in relation to the rail shown in of the arrow 0 downwardly. Several blows may be necessary but the grip of the device u on the rail injthe intermediate positions,

' a er the surface H once begins to e e' with.the under side ofthe rail he is ,sufiicient to hold the device in plaeean permit it to be driven to the final o rative position. When the inner"corner ofthe 7 arm C has thus beensprung over the upment of the rail forward inthe direction of r the base flange B,

per corner of the rail base and into contact with the vertical edgeof the base flange B,.the .arnr'E (should be well wedged into the fishing space by several heavy blows at about the bend Gyin this arm E, in the direction of the arrow N. I

Thedirection in which the rail tends to greepis indicatedby-thearrow in Figure the arm E firmly wedged in between the head I and base flange'B of therail and f there held by the" gr pping action of the arm C upon the op to vertical edge oftl dontact of the body' portion A with thetie K will prevent move- 2. The grip of the (the arrow in Figure sufiicient device on the space between thehead I and base of the rail, with-the body permit the device to be to the ver-.

will readily be understood that, with 1 to efiectually tendency to creep. Should, however, this initial grip be not suflicient and the rail tend to-move forheld by the contact of the body portion A j with the tie K, will not move forward. The arm E will thus be brought to an inclined osition, as shown by the dotted lines in igure' 2, and the grip of the device antomatically increased by the tilting of the arm E,'wedged in between-the head I and base .flange'B I of the rail, until suflicient to withstand the forces tending to produce creeping.

It will readily be understood that the arm E, when wedged into the fishing space as described above, is subject chiefly to compression stresses and that the tilting of this arm increases such compression stresses. The functions of the body portion A and arm C is to retain the arm E in ti htly' wedged position and'to engage the tie K in opposition to the tendency to creep; and while the arm C does have some gripping action upon the base flan e B such action is due to the tendency o the piece to resume the original form which it had before application to the rail. There is not ing in the. action of the device after application to; the rail tending to increase the stress upon the arm 0 and bodyv portion ,A tocause them to yield and permaently 'deform. It is well known that material subject to compression stresses can withstand greater stresses and is subject to less deformation under such stresses than material subject-to tension, torsion or bending. The body A and arm C have sufiicient resilience to permit the necessary change in shape to permit the device to be' applied to. the rail without them and the arm which exerts the main gripping action upon the rail, is subject to compresslon chiefly, so that the device is fully capable "of withstanding all the stresses to which it may be sub'ected in *service'without any permanent de ormation "which" would loosen the grip'of the device upon the rail or permit it to become inefficient or drop oi the rail. t

The bend G in the arm E of the device serves the double purpose of bringing the end surface H of the arm E to the angle 'correspondin'gwith the angle of the under side of the head I of the rail, so that the sheared end of the bar may f'orm'the surface H;' and of roviding a suitable surface to receive the blbws directed to the proper seating and wedging of the arm E into the sheared end of the bar and some variation,

rmanently deforming A within permissible limits, may be made in the length of the arm C, the device may be fashioned from a rolled bar by bending alone without forging. Bars of the proper length may, in one operation, be bent to the form required for the completed device. The manufacture is thus made simple and inexpensive.

Should it be desired to remove the device from the rail, the arm C is driven down-.

wardly by blows in the direction of the arrow P upon the end of the arm 0. as shown in Figure 5. The dotted lines in Figure 5 show the position of the device when in operativ'e position on the rail. The resiliency of. the arm C and body portion Apermits the arm C to be driven down, with the corner D riding upon the vertical edge of the rail that changes may be made in. the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention" as efined by. the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for preventing thelongitudinal creeping of rails comprising a bar extending substantially transversely 'beneath the rail base adapted to engage a tie in opposition to the tendency of the rail to creep, having one sheared end surface substantially at right angles to the bar adapted to engage the under side of the rail head at one side of the rail, and the corner of the other end'thereof adapted to engage the rail base flange at its other side, and an intermediate portion extending over and adapted to engage the top of the base flange below the rail head engaging end of sald bar, said bar and the ends and intermediate portion thereof being so formed in relation to each other that said-bar exerts an upward pressure upon the head and a downward pressure upon the base flange at one side of the rail and a lateral pressure upon its base flange at the other side.

2. An anticreeper comprising a bar bent to form a body adapted to engage a tie in opposition to the tendency of the rail to P creep and end arms in the same plane therewith, one end arm being bowed and adapted to engage its up er end with the under side of the rail hea and provided with a portion adapted to' engage the up er surface of the base flange at one side 0 the, rail and theother end arm adapted to engage. its inbar is; distorted.

3; A rail anchor of one iece of resilient material formed to provid arm adapted to be forced in between the head and base flange at one side of the rail and a short arm adapted to engagethe edge. of, its rail base at the other side, the two arms being connected by a body portion adapted to engage a tie, the form of the two arms and connecting body portion being such as to permit the device to be applied to a rail with the short arm engaging the base flange below the end of said arm and with the long arm engaging the upper corner of the base flange and the lower corner of the rail head and then, by distortion of the device, to bring the inner corner of the short arm into engagement with the edge of the rail base at one side of the rail and the long arm into full engagement with the rail head and base flange at the other side of the rail, whereby the long. arm will be put under compression and the body portion under spring tension.

4. A device for preventing the creeping of rails comprising a bar bent to form a long arm adapted to be forced in between the head and base flange of a rail at one side, a short inturned arm adapted to be forced into engagement at its inner corner with the edge of-the base flange of the rail at the otherside, and an intermediate body por'. tion, all so formed and related that transverse angular forced movement of saidbar upon a rail will cause the device to grip the head and base flange at one-side of the rail and the edge of the base flange at its othei side, and that longitudinal movement of the rail when said intermediate body portior is in contact with a tie will automatically increase the grip of the device upon the rail.

5. A device for preventing the creeping of rails comprising a bar adapted to engage one endthereof with the vertical edge of the base flangeat oneside of the rail and to engage the otherend and an intermediate portion with the rail headand upper surface of thebase flangeat its other side, and provided with a transverse por- .tion beneath and out of contact with the rail base adapted to engage a tie,- all so arranged and related thatfwith said transverse portion in contact with a tie, longitudinal movement of the rail toward the tie e. a long bowed of unequai length, the longer bowed and engaging the'head and the base flange at one side of the rail and the shorter engaging at its inner corner only the base flange at the other side of .the rail, and a. 100 y adapted to engage a tie in opposition to the tendency of the rail tocreep.

' 7. A one piece anticreeper formedofa 1' bar of resilient material having a relatively long arm at one end with. an end-sur 7 face substantially at rightanglesto said bar, a relatively short arm at theother end and an intermediate tie engaging portion,

\ may be forced in'between the hea all so formed and related that the lon anrii an base of the rail at one side andthe end of the short arm brought into gripping engagement with the vertical base at itsother side. 7

8. A rail anchor comprising a body member having, terminal 1 mil gripping arms, one of which isshorter than the other, said arms being so disposed with relation to the body that their grip upon the rail is tightend bysimultaneous angular movement on the rail in a plane transverse thereto, and a full operative engagement is secured by continued angular movement of one arm after the other has attainedits final gripv ping positiom 9. A rail anchor comprisinga body member having terminal rail grlpping arms of unequal len h, the longer engaging the head and base of the rail at one side and the shorter the base of the rail-at the other" side, said'arms being so related to the body that full operative engagement with therail is secured by successive angular move,- ments-of the-anchor in a plane transverse to the-rail until the body is stressed.

10. An antic'reeper having a body adapted to lie beneath the.,rai1 ,,to engage a crosstie, but out of contact-with the bottom of the .rail baseflange-when .in operative position,

a short arm rising lfrom one end, of said bodyfor gri ping the edge of said flange. at one side 0 the rail base, and'a' long arm rising from the other end-of said body and bent to be receivedcbetween the railhead and base at the other side of the rail, said v anticreeper being adapted beloeked in operative position on the rail by. pressure -.thereo'n from said two arms'due to a prof an upper portion, adapted 'to occupy gressive deformation of the anticreeper, While being pp lied to the rail,. from, its unstressed state when off the rail,

11. A one piece anticreeper for rails comprising a bar of resilient material bent to form an angular arm at one end havmg fishing-space at one side ofthe m1 and engage the under face of the railhead with edgeof the rail her that their grip upon of the rail. is tightened/by 'inovement tot 'bearagainst a crosstie, disposed out of contact with the bottom ofthe rail.

the

enema its free end, an out-turned lower tion adapted toengage the upper face ofthe rail to form a relatively short arm at its other end, disposed substantially i opposite said out-turned portion of the an ase flange at-that side, and bent ar arm, 'ada ted to engag'ethe edge of t e rail base at t eopposite side, said short arm having its position relative to the angular arm e rail.

to extend across the rail and engage a crossv tie, said body having terminal arms to en'- gagewith the rail at either side of its web, v

onearm being relativelyshort and turnin slightl I inward toward the other arm, an

other arm being relatively long with rtion turned inward over the rail base ange and having an upper or'- tion'ada'pted to seat within thefishing space the its lower of the rail, said. anticreeper being locked A in position on thelrail pressure thereon from said two arms .built up by a transverse angularmovement or the anticreeper and its consequent deformation by springing the two arms apart due to the wedg'ing action ofthe rail between them.

13." A device for preventing" creeping of rails comprising a bodyextending transversely under the rail base adapted to engage a tie but not the bottom of the rail base, an arm at one end of said body adapted to extend over one side of the rail base flange and upward to engage the sheared end of said bar ,with the under side of the rail. head, an arm at' the other end of said body adapted 'to extend to the edge of the base flange at the-other side, said arms'and said.

9 .body being so formed in relation to each other thatsaid arm first. named exerts an v upwardpressure against the rail head and a, downward pressure against the base flange .atone side, and said other arm exerts pres-; sure laterally against the base flange at the other side when the device is applied the 1 '14. A rail anchor including a transverse body member adapted to'engage a tie but not thejbottom rail base and end arms formed on the bodyniember. for securing the r il anchor to the -rail, said end arms being so] disposed vwith relatio jt the body'memthe head and basegether in a plane transverse to the rail. l 15. In an anticreeper'a bodyadapted to so asto be side of the base at one side of -ber adapted to engage a crosstie below and to be held out of contact with the bottom of the rail .base, and end portions formed on the body member for securing said anticreeper to the rail, said body member. being.

adapted to be forcibly moved on the rail after being placed thereon whereby one end portion is wedged in between the under side of the head and the upper side of the base at one side of the rail and the. other end tion firmly. pressed against the edge of the rail base at the other side of the rail.

17. An anticreeper formed of a single bar of metal bent to form a body portion adapted to engage a crosstie but not the bottom of the rail base, an arm at one end adapted to engage the edge of the rail base at one side of the rail, and a portion at the other end. adapted to be forced in between the under side of the head and the upper side of the base at the other side of the rail. L

18. A one piece anticreeper comprising a body having a -portion adapted to be forced in between the head and base of the rail at engage the edge of the'base at the other side of the rail, and a portion adapted to engage a crosstie beneath the rail, said .portions being so arranged and disposed as to permit said anticreeper to be first placed upon the rail with said crosstie engaging portion below and said base edge engaging portion above thle rfail base agd dthen forced into position orcin sai e e en a i ortion dowhwardly and said rt lo r i first nairlned in'between the head an base of the ra 19. A rail anchor comprisin a bar bent to form a body ortion adapte crosstie below but to be out of contact with the bottom of the rail base, an end ortion adapted to be driven in between the of the head and the top ofthe rail base 'at one side of the rail, and an end portion ada ted to engage the vertical edge-of the rail ase at the other side'of the real.

20. An anticreeper comprising a bar hav-- in one end bent to form a portion adapted to e forced in between the under surface of the head and the upper surface of the base at one side of the rail and the other end gage the vertical edge of the rai base'at the other side of the rail, said arm being so disposed with relation to the other portion that said anticreeper .may first be placed upon the rail withthe intermediate portion said bar in contact with a crosstiebelow and with said arm and other end portioninfo position by driving said arm .dowm

por-

to engage a tion and isthereby fircgd ifiltodstrczin'g f. v in en mentwit t e ea an 0 above the base of the rail, and then forced. ghe raih the rail at the other side, and a body held out of contact with the rail when. said anticreeper is in operative position on the rail.

22. A rail anchor comprising a body and end iarms extending upwardly substantially in the plane of the body, being so arranged that clearance is provided for applying the device with the body extending across beneath the rail and out of contact therewith and with the arms in. preliminary engage ment with the rail head-and base'at one side and with the base at the other side of the rail, the parts'being' so positioned and proportioned that upon angular movement of the device upon the rail into its operative engaging position-the device is forced into strongv gripping engagement with the rail. 23. The combination with a crosstie and a railroad rail having 'a head and base flange, of an, anticreeper provided with a part engaged with the rail head and the top of the base flange, and a second part, extending transversely of the rail from the part first named, engaged with the crosstie and Ehe edge but not. the bottom of the base ange. v 24. The combination with a crosstie. and a railroad rail having a head and base flange, of an anticreeper provided with a part engaged with the bottom of the head and the top of the base flange, apart engaged with the crosstie to prevent forward movement, and apart engaged with the vertical edge only of the base flange to prevent lateral displaceme t. a

25. A rai anchor, comprising a transverse bar constructed to engage a crosstie but not the railbottom and provided with'a terminal arm at one end constructed to engage the rail base edge, and with a portion at the other end thereof constructed to be driven transversely of the rail toward and under the rail head to efi'ect a gripping action and lock said anchor, in position.

26. An anticreeper for railscomp'rising'a body and two terminal arms so arranged that lateral clearance is. provided for apply ing the device tothe rail with the body out of contact therewith and with the arms in bent to. form an arm adapted to r1 'dly en therail from its position of preliminary engagement into its operative engaging p o si- P' one piece anticreeper formed of a bar of resilient metal bent toform a long arm at one end and a relatively short arm at the otherend and an intermediate portion, all so formed and related that; the long arm may enter the space between the head and base of the rail atone side and the short arm be brought into gripping engagement with' the base at theother side of the rail with theintermediatep'ortion out of contact with-the g 28. An anticreeper comprising a body,

and end arms formed integrally with said body and in the same plane therewith adapted to have direct engagement with the head and base at one side and with the base at the other side of a rail, the arrangement being such that with one arm entered-in the,

with the vertical edge'thereof, and that when said arm is brought into its full operative engagement with the rail base ,on its' side other side, said body is stressed.

, G. GILLMOB;

and said arm first named is forced in be tween the head and base of the rail on the g5 

